


Consequences

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Entropy [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Consequences, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 04:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16548944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: There are consequences to every action, even those done to save friends and family and Natsu discovers that sometimes the scales don't balance out. Set after the events in 'Believe' (Eclipse Celestial Spirit Arc).





	Consequences

   Natsu grinned softly as he watched Lucy standing within the circle of her spirits, joyful tears spilling down her cheeks as they returned their keys to her one by one. In all honesty, there had been a couple of times when he’d thought that they might not get to this point, not that he had ever let it show or that he’d admit it to any of them even now that it was all over. Shifting he grimaced as the movement tugged on his battered body, reminding him of the numerous aches and bruises that he had managed to accumulate although he knew that he was lucky that he had got off as lightly as he had.

“Are you alright?” Mira’s soft voice made him jump as he hadn’t noticed her approach, and he scowled briefly as she giggled at the reaction before her expression turned more serious as she studied him with concerned eyes.

“Yeah,” his scowl melted away into a reassuring smile, raising his arms in a triumphant gesture and resolutely forcing back the pain that the gesture caused. “A bit sore that’s all,” he didn’t see any point in denying that as they had all seen him sprawled in Lucy’s lap not long before, but he was relieved to see some of the concern in her expression easing at his act.

“That was a reckless move you know,” she scolded him, but there was no real anger in her voice, and he grinned at her. _Of course it was,_ he thought trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her words. Everything he tended to do was reckless, even he realised that, and admittedly he’d been a little more reckless than usual during the entire situation, but as far as he was concerned it had been entirely justified. If he’d hesitated or restrained himself for even a moment, if any of them had - then the touching reunion in front of them might never have happened. “We could see everything that was happening. It was horrible just being there and watching everything that was going on, knowing that we couldn’t help,” Mira continued quietly, and his grin faded as he caught the tension in her voice, knowing that ever since she had returned to being an active mage she found it harder than before to be a mere spectator.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly not liking the distress that had appeared on her face, and cautiously he wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders although he kept a careful eye on Elfman as he did so. The taller man had gotten a lot better at tolerating people around his sister, mainly because neither she nor Lisanna would let him get away with it, but Natsu didn’t want to risk a brawl at the moment when his body was protesting the slightest movement. Although he had little doubt that Mira would quickly shut down any attempt at fighting.

   His apology and gesture had clearly startled her because she stiffened slightly, before turning to stare at him with incredulous blue eyes although she made no move to shrug his arm off.

“It’s not your fault,” she replied finally with a small shake of a head, a slight smile slipping through as she caught the worried glance towards her brother. “You’re the reason everything ended well,” she pointed out, and he blinked at her before shaking his head firmly.

“No, it was all of us.”

   Mira struggled to hold back a sigh at his words, biting her lip to stop herself from contradicting him. While she didn’t doubt that Erza and the others had done a lot, she knew that without Natsu’s efforts inside that it wouldn’t have mattered what they did. Seeing the hint of colour that had seeped into his cheeks made her swallow down her arguments, a fond albeit slightly exasperated smile spreading across her lips as she realised that he honestly felt that way. It was one of the things she had always found endearing about the Dragon-slayer, that regardless of what he achieved, he never really wanted to take credit. She knew that if he ever managed to beat Erza or Gildarts, it would be different, but in every other situation, he wanted to share everything with his friends.

“What?” Natsu asked curiously as he studied her with a somewhat confused look on his face.

“Nothing,” she replied slipping free of his arm, although she immediately missed the extra warmth and very nearly gave in to the temptation to move back into his side. Quickly glancing around she realised that it looked as though Lucy was nearly finished saying farewell to her Spirits and she hastily seized onto that as a distraction. “Come on it looks like Lucy is nearly ready to go.” Natsu stared at her for a moment longer before his gaze shifted across to the Celestial mage, his earlier grin reappearing as he nodded at her before bounding off to join the blonde mage.

“Idiot,” Mira whispered staring after him for a moment before sighing and heading across to join her sibling, although her gaze lingered on Natsu as he bounded around saying his own farewells to the Spirits and getting into a friendly argument with Loke about something as Lucy tried to pry the pair apart.

_Thank you for saving us again._

**

   Heeding the Celestial Spirit King’s words they left not long after, relieved to find that they had been returned to Magnolia as none of them felt particularly like facing the journey home from where they had actually entered the Celestial world. It was immediately evident that their world had regained its previous equilibrium, and they all exchanged relieved, triumphant looks which only intensified when a brief look around reassured them that they hadn’t been caught up in the time difference. Not one of them had hesitated to risk that possibility, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t ecstatic not to have lost more time with their friends and family.

   They said their friendly farewells to the Princess and her companions nearly straight away, much to Mira’s dismay as she had wanted to spend more time with Yukino, the same protectiveness that she had felt during their time in Crocus rearing its head. Still, she had to admit that it was nice to see the relief and happiness on the Celestial mage’s face, and the lack of tension on Hisui’s face now that everything had been resolved and they had all agreed to meet up again soon, hopefully without disaster hovering over their heads. Once the trio had disappeared, for some reason deciding to use the somewhat disturbing pumpkin disguise yet again the rest of the group headed back to the guild to check that everything was back to normal and to fill their Master in on what had happened.

**

   The guild was fairly full when they returned as apparently there had been a flurry of requests being cancelled, which everyone took as a positive indicator that everything was indeed going back to normal. As soon as Makarov had laid eyes on them - taking in their unusual clothes which the Spirits had insisted they keep just to be safe, and the broad smile on Lucy’s face. A direct contrast to the concerned mask that she had had the last time he’d seen them he knew that they had managed to get themselves involved in something big. Which given the abrupt end to the events that had been effecting Fiore, he knew that they had probably had something to do with it and he sighed with a mixture of irritation and affection.

“What have you brats done now?”

   Natsu had ceased paying attention as Lucy and Erza filled Gramps in on what had happened in the Spirit world, with Gray and the others interjecting as necessary, not even focusing when he heard his own name being bandied around. He had started to feel somewhat unwell over the past few minutes, his stomach beginning to roll uncomfortably and he grimaced as it clenched tightly, biting back the bile that rose in the back of his throat and struggling to keep his expression even so that he didn’t worry the others.

“Natsu? Natsu!”

“Huh?” Natsu blinked as it finally registered that Makarov was talking to him, and glancing around he realised that everyone was staring at him and he winced at the concern that he could see in some of their expressions. “What did I miss?” He asked keeping his voice deliberately light, although he could tell from the narrow-eyed look he received from the Old man that he at least wasn’t fooled by the act although thankfully he didn’t call him on it.

“I was just saying well done,” Makarov replied with a faint frown as he studied the Dragon-slayer, he was used to the teen not paying attention, but there was something off in Natsu’s expression, and he was fairly sure that the teen had paled considerably over the past few minutes. “Is everything alright?”

“Yep,” Natsu replied cheerfully, forcing a grin on to his face and meeting Makarov’s gaze directly as he did so, hoping that it would be enough to fool the Old man. His stomach was hurting more than before, and it was a battle to keep the grin on his face, and he let out a soft sigh of relief when Makarov finally nodded before turning around to speak to Erza. As everyone’s attention shifted away from him once more, he took a few steps back, leaning against the wall with a relieved noise which was immediately followed by a soft moan as his stomach clenched violently. _What the hell is this?_ He thought irritably as he reached down to rub softly at his stomach, flinching as it reminded him of the other aches in the rest of his body and he hastily snatched the hand away.

“Natsu?” He nearly cursed at the soft voice, but thankfully he managed to stifle it as he glanced up to find Mira watching him with worried eyes. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

“I’m going to head home and rest for a bit,” Natsu replied with a forced smile, fighting the urge to wrap his arm back around his stomach as it began to churn more violently and he bit his tongue as he was hit with a wave of nausea.

“Is everything okay?” She asked with a worried frown, catching the strained edge to his smile and noting the way his arm twitched as though he was about to reach out and grab something. Studying him closer she realised that he had gone pale, and she instinctively took a step towards him as her concern continued to grow. Was he more seriously injured than he’d let on? Everyone had been so focused on making sure that they, and then the Spirts were okay that no-one had really taken the time to check on him properly and she was worried that they might have missed something.

“Yeah,” Natsu reassured her, not wanting to put a damper on the celebrations that were already breaking out around them and he knew that there was no way that she wouldn’t fuss if she found out he wasn’t feeling well. Still, blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at him, and he hastily added. “I think I just need a hot shower and a nap to get rid of these aches and pains.” Which is at least partially true, he thought to himself as he realised that the deep ache that had filled him since Erza had pulled him out of the rubble was only getting worse.

“Alright,” Mira conceded finally although she still didn’t look fully convinced. Resisting the urge to interrogate him some more she glanced around the guild, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she realised that many of the gathered mages had already started to party and her voice was lighter as she turned back to him. “We’ll probably still be partying later so make sure you come back for that!”

“Of course,” Natsu grinned at her, and this time it reached his eyes, and she felt herself relaxing at the sight of it. If he could grin like that, then it couldn’t be anything too serious, and she smiled at his enthusiasm at the mention of a party. “Will you tell the others where I’ve gone?” He asked hopefully, definitely not feeling up to repeating this conversation with the rest of his friends and after a brief hesitation, she nodded in agreement earning an honest smile from the Dragon-slayer. “Thank you.”

   Mira watched with worried eyes as Natsu took advantage of the group's distraction to slip away, her eyes narrowing as she watched his hand slip down to rub briefly at his stomach and she had to fight the urge to shout after him. She hoped that it wasn’t a mistake letting him go off on his own as she couldn’t shake the thought that this was more than just aches and pains. Hearing Lisanna calling her name she turned away, deciding that she would trust him to take of himself for now and sighing at the thought of having to convince everyone else to do the same, as there was no way they were all going to take his slipping away quietly.

**

   By the time he finally reached the house Natsu was barely able to move, both arms wrapped protectively around his stomach as it clenched painfully, his breaths coming in short, sharp pants as he tried to ride out the pain. Moaning softly he opened the door and staggered inside, glad that Happy had apparently decided to remain behind at the Guild so that he didn’t have to witness this. Especially as he knew that his partner wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to say ‘I told you so’. He recognised this reaction, it happened every time he consumed magic that he wasn’t supposed to and he knew that he had been foolish to hope that he might be able to escape it this time. For a moment he lent back against the door as he tried to get his bearings before he turned his attention towards the stairs, he needed that shower, and then he would head to bed and try and sleep through the worst of the reaction.

   With that thought motivating him he headed for the stairs, not liking how difficult the simple act of climbing them was, and his breathing was laboured by the time he reached the top, and for a moment he was tempted to just head straight for bed. However, he was still covered with dirt and grime from the battles, and he wrinkled his nose as he realised that he was beginning to sweat and he grimaced as he realised that meant his temperature was rising. Rubbing his stomach, he headed for the bathroom. Hopefully, a quick shower would help him feel a little better.

   In the bathroom he turned the shower on full, steam immediately filling the room as he turned it to the highest hear and he let out a soft sigh as the room began to heat up around him, the heat soothing him already. Grimacing he carefully stripped out of his clothes, biting his lips as it jarred his aching limbs and a quick glance down at himself confirmed that he was covered in bruises and small cuts and he sighed. So much for being a ‘big hero’, he looked more like he had come off worse with an argument with a brick wall. Carefully folding his scarf he laid it aside, scowling as he realised that it needed a good wash and making a note to do it when he was feeling better. He never trusted anyone, not even Happy to wash the memento from his father.

   His stomach clenched again, and he staggered for a moment, blinking as the room span around him for a minute, and he hastily closed his eyes not wanting to make the rising nausea any worse. _Why couldn’t he just eat whatever magic he needed to?_ Back when he had successfully consumed Laxus’s lightning, he had hoped that it was a sign that he would no longer have to go through this, but of course, life was never that simple. In fact, he would swear that his reactions had got worse since then, although part of that might be because he kept consuming more powerful magic than he had in the past. Cautiously opening his eyes once more he was relieved to find that the room had stopped spinning for now, and he hurried into the shower, hoping that he wouldn’t end up passing out in the shower and needing to be rescued. A sigh of relief and contentment slipped out as the hot water beat down on his skin, and he happily sank against the wall, letting the cascade massage the aches and pains out of his skin as his eyes slipped shut.

   Of course, his contentment didn’t last long as his stomach decided to start rolling with increased violence and desperately he tried to quash the nauseous feeling it was causing, realising that it was a losing battle he flung the shower door open before dashing across to the toilet just in time. Retching he doubled over the toilet, feeling as though his entire body was trying to turn itself inside out and he grasped the toilet seat with shaking hands to keep himself upright. Part of him knew that this was a bad sign. He rarely got this bad especially not this quickly after eating foreign magic, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it, part of him hoping that it was just because of the amount of magic he had consumed and the fact that there had been two different types. But as his stomach clenched again, he couldn’t shake the fear that it was something more.

**

   It was nearly twenty minutes later that he finally managed to drag himself away from the toilet, feeling empty and exhausted as he flushed away the evidence. His magic had already dried him off from his shower, and when he went to check on the water it was running cold, and with a huff he turned it off before retrieving his trousers and scarf, not bothering to pull on the rest of his clothes as he had no intention of heading anywhere apart from bed. He grimaced as his sharp nose picked up on the lingering smell of sick, and he quickly headed for the door to escape the smell, nearly ending up on the floor as his legs wavered beneath him cramped after sitting for so long beside the toilet.

   He made his way towards the bedroom on wobbly legs, trying to ignore the way everything seemed to be spinning around him again in case it set his nausea off again. All he wanted to do now was curl up in bed and fall asleep, preferably not waking until the blasted magic had managed to work its way out of the system. Staggering into his room he briefly contemplated whether he should leave a note for Happy but he brushed that thought aside, the Exceed would easily be able to work out what had happened, plus he doubted that he was even capable of writing such a note in his current state.

   Ignoring the fact that he was still wearing his dirty trousers he staggered the last couple of steps to the bed, allowing himself to topple down onto the soft surface with a relieved groan, burying his face against the cool material of his pillow. He lacked the energy to shift himself into a more comfortable position or pull the covers up over himself, not that he would feel the cold anyway and instead he just let his eyes close. His head was pounding, and his stomach resumed its tightness and clenching from earlier making him groan softly, wondering if he might have been better off just staying in the bathroom as he wasn’t sure that he would make it back there in time if his stomach rebelled again. Midway through that thought, he dozed off, sinking into a restless sleep before he knew it, vaguely aware of the increasingly oppressive heat that was settling in around him.

****

That evening:

   Happy frowned as he let himself into the house. It was already quite late, and when there had been no sign of his partner returning to join the party he had finally excused himself, catching the worry in Mira’s eyes as she glanced at the clock and he had offered her a reassuring smile before heading out of the door to track down the wayward Dragon-slayer. It was only as he was flying home that he had remembered that Natsu had eaten that weird purple gunk during the battle, his heart sinking at the realisation that Natsu was probably suffering his usual reaction to eating stuff that he shouldn’t and he sped up. The Dragon-slayer usually pulled through such reactions without too much trouble, but Happy never liked leaving him alone when he was that vulnerable, plus this time he’d eaten two types of magic in fairly rapid succession…

   The house was dark and silent around him, and his eyes narrowed even as he fumbled for the switch to turn on the lights. A quick glance confirmed that the living room was empty, and if Natsu was reacting to what he’d eaten, he doubted very much that he would be using the kitchen, so he immediately headed for the stairs hoping that the Fire mage had been sensible for once and taken himself off to bed. However, as he reached the top landing, he realised that there was light coming from under the bathroom door and he let out a worried mew even as he made his way towards it.

“Natsu?!” He called softly as he tapped on the door not wanting to startle his partner if he already wasn’t feeling well, but there was no response, and he felt his anxiety beginning to grow. “Natsu are you in there?” When there was still no response, he cautiously opened the door, coming up short when he found that the bathroom was empty and he was just about to leave and try the bedroom when he caught the acrid smell coming from the toilet. Wrinkling his nose in disgust he sighed, clearly, Natsu wasn’t well at all, although at least he had made it to the toilet this time. Beating a swift retreat, baulking at the smell,  he hurried towards the bedroom hoping that Natsu was resting now.

   Quietly opening the bedroom door he tapped the switch to turn on the light, his eyes quickly moving to the sleeping Dragon-slayer on the bed, a small smile appearing as he registered the familiar ear-splitting snores escaping from his partner.

“Idiot,” He muttered with fondness as he quickly moved across to the bed, his smile disappearing as he got close enough to see the tense expression on Natsu’s face. The Fire mage was pale aside from the flush of fever that had appeared in his cheeks, sweat soaking his forehead as his eyes shifted uneasily under closed lids. “Natsu…” Carefully he hopped up on the bed, nearly scooting back off it as he caught the heat coming off the Dragon-slayer and he swallowed before carefully resting a paw on the Fire mage’s forehead. It wasn’t as bad as it had been after the fight with Loke, but it was still enough to worry him, and he frowned as he pulled his paw away. _Natsu, you idiot…_

   He couldn’t bring himself to disturb the Dragon-slayer, especially as he knew from past experience that sleep was the only thing that could help with this problem, his mind flashing back to how Natsu had slept for three days straight after eating Etherion. Biting his lip for a moment, he sighed before carefully setting to work, easing the covers slowly out from under the sleeping Dragon-slayer and praying that he wouldn’t wake him. Thankfully Natsu never stirred although he did end up mumbling softly as Happy pulled the covers over him, something in his expression easing as he snuggled against the material and the Exceed shook his head quietly before gently running a paw across the sweat-dampened pink hair.

_Get better soon…_

****

   Natsu started awake with a low groan as a particularly violent stomach cramp had him doubling up, his arms instinctively going around himself. For a couple of minutes, he just lay there, riding out the pain and trying to ignore the creeping feeling of nausea, his eyes drifting around the partially lit room and softening as they landed on Happy. The Exceed was curled up at the end of the bed rather than on his own hammock, and despite the pain and sickness, Natsu felt a small smile creep onto his face. No doubt he would end up getting scolded when his partner was awake, but for now, it warmed him to realise the other had been concerned about him.

   All warm thoughts and feelings vanished as there was a fresh spike of pain from his stomach, and he groaned again, paling as the nausea surged up in a wave. Frantically slamming his hands over his mouth he slid out of bed, trying his best not to rouse the Exceed as he dashed for the door, almost colliding with the door frame as his legs nearly gave way beneath him. Hating the weakness assaulting him he darted down the hallway and into the bathroom, falling to his knees with a dull thud in front of the toilet seconds before he lost the battle against his nausea.

**

   Happy had woken with the sudden movement, but he had decided to pretend to be sleeping as he caught the worried glance Natsu had thrown at him before he dashed for the door. The Exceed knew full well what had sent the Dragon-slayer running and he knew that Natsu hated having an audience during this part, so despite his worry, he remained curled up on the bed hoping that his partner wouldn’t be gone for long. Glancing at the clock, he decided to give Natsu half an hour before going to check on him, hoping desperately that he wouldn’t be gone for that long.

*

   Natsu groaned as he leant weakly against the wall, the coolness of the bathroom tiles soothing against his feverish skin and he let his eyes drift close with a soft noise of relief. Cautiously he pressed a hand to his churning stomach, swallowing hard as fresh bile rose in the back of his mind and he hastily shuffled closer to the toilet. Desperately he breathed deeply as he tried to settle his stomach, but it was a losing battle, and a moment later he lunged for the toilet once more, tears prickling in the corners of his eyes as he vomited yet again. It had been going on for an hour or so now, and all that was left by this point was bile, and his stomach cramped painfully as his body tried to bring up stuff that wasn’t there.

   It took a couple of minutes for the fit to past, and when it did he reached up to flush the toilet, before leaning against the base not daring to move too far in case his stomach rebelled once more. With a shaking hand, he reached up to grab a towel, grimacing as he wiped it across his face, realising for the first time just how badly he was sweating and he idly wondered just how high his temperature could have become to be making even him sweat. Briefly, his mind flashed back to the fever that had assaulted him after eating Loke’s dark flames, but that had been nothing compared to this, and he grimaced. Clearly, Happy had been right to warn him against eating the purple gunk inside the Spirit beast, not that he’d really had much choice at the time.

“Natsu?” The sleepy voice caught his attention, and he cautiously raised his head and glanced across to find Happy peering into the bathroom with a concerned expression on his face, and he immediately tried to summon a reassuring smile although even he could tell that it came out more like a grimace. “You’re throwing up again?” The Exceed demanded as he rubbed the sleep out his eyes, he’d managed to doze off again while waiting for Natsu to come back and he’d nearly gone into a full-blown panic when he realised just how long the Dragon-slayer had been gone. His eyes narrowed as he took in how Natsu was leaning against the toilet, guessing that it was the only thing keeping his partner upright and he bit his lip in concern as he caught the scent of fresh vomit in the air.

“Yeah,” Natsu admitted quietly knowing that there was no point in hiding it from his partner as he’d just been caught red-handed, leaning back against the wall with a weary sigh. Even though he’d managed a few hours of sleep he felt utterly exhausted, and he could feel his eyes already beginning to droop, and he blinked slowly as he glanced across at Happy who was still watching him with concern.

“Should I go and fetch Wendy?” Happy asked anxiously as he moved to his partner’s side, noting just how pale and tired the Dragon-slayer looked and the feverish light in the olive eyes that briefly met his. He had seen Natsu’s reaction to foreign magic multiple times and yet this seemed far worse than usual, and he couldn’t entirely silence the small voice at the back of his mind that told him this was more than a simple negative reaction and he hesitated as he reached out to Natsu.

“No,” Natsu shook his head immediately, before paling as the gesture made the room spin around him and he had to pause for a moment to let it settle once more. “It’s because I ate that gunk…” He had been through this reaction enough times to know, although he had to admit that it had never taken so long to appear before and he couldn’t remember ever feeling as ill as he did right now. But then again he had ingested two different types of magic very close together, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising that his body was struggling to deal with it.

“I warned you,” Happy scolded, but there was no heat in his voice, as he knew that Natsu really hadn’t had a choice and he didn’t really want to consider what could’ve happened if the Dragonslayer hadn’t taken the risk when he had. “But, are you sure I shouldn’t get someone? You really don’t look well,” he added a moment later with a frown as he watched Natsu beginning to shiver. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen the Fire mage do that and the uneasy feeling in the back of his mind intensified.

“I’ll be fine,” Natsu muttered, determined not to bother the others over this. Everything was just getting back to normal after the battle in Crocus and their adventure in the Spirit world, and he didn’t want to cause more trouble. Besides, while it seemed more extreme than usual, this was a usual reaction, and he wasn’t going to bother them for that. He also didn’t want to give Gray or Gajeel a reason to moan at him as neither of them had been overly impressed that in the end, he had been the one to stop the Celestial beast, even though they all knew that nothing would have worked if both groups hadn’t done their best. “I just need to rest up a bit,” he added turning his attention back to Happy and forcing a week smile as he saw the doubtful expression on the Exceed’s face.

“All right,” Happy agreed finally with a defeated sigh, knowing that they weren’t going to get anywhere by arguing like this and he could tell that the Dragon-slayer was struggling to stay awake now that his stomach seemed to have settled a little. “Let’s get you back to bed,” he added softly as he summoned his wings and Natsu frowned as he realised that the Exceed was planning to carry him to bed, immediately letting out a weak protest _. I’m not that bad. I’m not…_

“I can walk…”

“No,” Happy cut across him, and there was something in his voice that stopped Natsu’s argument dead in its track, and instead he merely nodded quietly. Letting out a relieved sigh the Exceed took to the air, carefully lifting Natsu and trying to ignore the way the Dragon-slayer slumped in his arms, feeling the tremors working their way through his partner’s body. _Natsu..._ Part of him was tempted to ignore Natsu’s wishes and just take him to the guild so that the others could check him over, but he doubted that Natsu was up for the trip at the moment and maybe just maybe he would be better by morning.

   By the time they made it back to Natsu’s bedroom, the Dragon-slayer was nearly asleep, and it took all of Happy’s strength and a lot of cajoling to ease Natsu back into bed, and the Exceed frowned as he realised that Natsu had paled even further during the short journey. Gnawing anxiously on his bottom lip he gently pulled the covers up over the Dragon-slayer, lightly brushing his paw over Natsu’s cheek and scowling at the heat his partner was letting off. He had long since become accustomed to the fact that the Fire mage felt hotter than ordinary people, but this heat was unnatural, and he wavered for a moment, once again worrying that this was beyond their ability to cope with.

   However, Natsu looked relatively peaceful now that he was asleep. Only a faint furrowing of his brow indicating that he was still experiencing any discomfort, and Happy didn’t have the heart to disturb him now. Hoping that he wouldn’t regret the decision to wait, the Exceed curled up at the base of the bed wanting to remain close in case Natsu needed him during the night, and one paw snaked out to rest against Natsu’s leg reassuring him that his partner was right there. It had been terrifying watching Natsu devouring the strange gunk earlier, even if he had seen Natsu do similar things before and he hoped it was the echo of that terror that was causing the unusual level of concern he was feeling at the moment.

“Get better quickly,” he whispered not expecting a response but knowing that he wouldn’t be able to settle completely until Natsu had got back to normal.

****

   To Natsu, it felt like he had barely closed his eyes when he felt himself being shaken awake once more, and slowly he became aware of a worried voice calling his name from somewhere close by. Without opening his eyes, he tilted his head in the direction of the sound to indicate that he was at least trying to pay attention. The movement made him aware of the deep ache that seemed to radiate through every inch of his body, and he struggled to stifle a groan as pain spiked through his stomach bringing back memories of the night before although he was relieved to realise that he no longer felt nauseous.

“Natsu!” A second call drove some of the fog out of his head, and with a reluctant grumble, he inched his eyes open, rearing back with a startled cry as he found Happy stood on the edge of the bed and much to close for comfort when he’d just woken up.

“Happy?!” Natsu blinked as he calmed himself, feeling bad as he caught the guilty expression that flickered across the Exceed’s face. Yawning he glanced towards the window, startled to realise just how bright it was outside and he wondered just how long he had been asleep and with a small frown he turned back to Happy. “What’s up?” If the Exceed had let him sleep in till now, he couldn’t understand why he’d felt the need to wake him now, and all he wanted to do was curl back up and go back to sleep.

“I’m going to go and get us some food,” Happy replied softly, his eyes narrowed as he studied the Dragon-slayer, relieved to note that he looked slightly better than he had during the night although it was clear that he was still far from well. “Will you be okay on your own?” He asked dubiously as he watched Natsu’s gaze wander away from him with a slightly dazed look, and it took a couple of minutes before the Fire mage managed to drag it back to him and he was already regretting suggesting it when Natsu finally mumbled a response.

“Yeah…sure.”

“Natsu…” Happy began, the sluggishness in Natsu’s voice and the hint of confusion that he could see lurking in his partner’s eyes worrying him, especially given the amount of rest that Natsu had managed to get.

“I’ll be fine,” Natsu managed to sound more alert this time, and he raised his head to meet Happy’s gaze head-on, his lips twitching up in a weak smile and after a long moment Happy sighed in defeat and glanced away. He really didn’t like the idea of leaving the Dragon-slayer on his own at the moment, but he knew from experience that Natsu absolutely hated being babied when he was unwell and he didn’t want to start an argument when the other was already feeling ill.

“Okay I won’t be long,” Happy replied quietly, catching the relief that flashed across Natsu’s face when he didn’t push the issue and sighing quietly as he gestured to the bedside table. “There’s water on the table.” He would need to pick up some medicine as well while he was out as they rarely kept any in the house, not that there would have been much point giving Natsu medicine the night before anyway as he would just have bought it up again.

“’Kay,” Natsu mumbled his brief moment of awareness fading, and blinking heavily he snuggled back down on the bed, pulling the covers back over himself with a weary noise and his eyes had slid shut before the Exceed had even reached the door. Realising this Happy hesitated for a moment before a loud snore had him rolling his eyes, and with a last worried glance back towards the bed he headed out determined to be as quick as possible.

****

    Mira had been anxiously watching the door all morning, hoping for some glimpse of the wayward Dragon-slayer as she had been on edge ever since he’d failed to return to the guild the day before. The fact that Happy hadn’t returned after going to check on him was both worrying and reassuring at the same time, as it meant that there must be something wrong to keep them both away, but it couldn’t be too bad otherwise the Exceed would have come dashing back for help. Lisanna and Elfman had noticed her distraction and had been pestering her to know what was wrong, but she had so far managed to avoid telling them, not wanting to make everyone worry until she actually knew what was going on.

   A sudden flash of blue caught her attention, and she nearly dropped the glass that she was cleaning as she spotted Happy heading in her direction, and her gaze immediately darted behind him, only for her expression to fall as she realised that he was on her own. It didn’t help that his face was filled with worry and agitation and she hastily set down the abused glass before she broke it by holding on too tightly, ignoring the concerned glances she received from Lucy and Lisanna who were sat just in front of her.

“Mira-nee are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Mira offered her sister a tense smile, before turning her attention to the Exceed who had just reached them. “Hey Happy,” she greeted softly, her concern increasing when he offered her a wan smile, and it took all her self-restraint to stop herself from blurting out all the questions welling up in her chest.

“Happy,” Lucy had immediately turned to greet the Exceed having noticed that he’d left the party early the night before, something that she had never seen him do before. However, she came up short when she looked behind him for the Fire mage and blinking when she realised that there was no sign of the distinctive pink hair and no wild shouting to indicate he’d already managed to get into trouble which was the usual state of affairs. “Where’s Natsu?” She asked with a small frown which only deepened when she took in how his ears were drooping, and the brief flash of worry that he wasn’t quite able to conceal before she spotted it.

“He’s not well,” Happy admitted with a soft mew as he glanced at Mira catching the way her hands clenched against the bar, and Lucy frowned in concern as it occurred to her that Natsu had been missing the night before as well. She couldn’t remember the last time Natsu had actually been ill, and she couldn’t keep the worry out of her voice as she demanded.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s got a fever, and he’s been sick most of the night,” Happy replied grimly his paws clenching at his sides as he recalled how bad his partner had gotten during the night, and his reactions this morning had done little to ease the knot of concern in his stomach. Forcing himself to relax he turned to look at Mira who was listening to the conversation with a worried frown, adding hopefully. “Mira, could you make me something to take back to him? We don’t have much in the house, and I don’t think we have anything that he can keep down at the moment.” He hated admitting that he couldn’t look after Natsu on his own, especially when he recalled all the times that Natsu had looked after him, especially when they were younger.

“Of course,” Mira offer him a warm smile despite the worry lingering in her eyes, and after quietly asking Lisanna to watch over the bar she hurried off to make something up for the Fire Mage. She knew that Happy hated asking for help in situations like this, but it was always her that he and Natsu came to when the other was sick. A tradition that had started after Lisanna had ‘died’ but had never actually been rescinded even when her sister had returned.

“Why didn’t you fetch one of us?” Erza demanded having overheard the conversation and moving across to join them with a slightly foreboding expression as she glared down at Happy who immediately raised his paws defensively although his eyes flashed at the implication that he hadn’t done the best he could to care for Natsu.

“I offered!” His voice rose slightly, but he forced himself to calm down as he caught the brief flare of irritation in Erza’s eyes at his tone…reminding himself just how terrifying she could be, besides he didn’t really want to waste time bickering when Natsu was on his own. “But he told me not to. It’s from the magic he ate inside the Celestial beast so he probably just needs to sleep it off.” _Although I still don’t think it’s going to be that easy this time,_ he added privately unwilling to share it as there was nothing to really back up his uneasiness and the others already looked worried enough as it was and he knew that Natsu was going to be unhappy enough about that without him making it worse.

“Of course,” Lucy sighed softly, and there was guilt in her eyes and voice as she glanced down at her key pouch, she had been so focused on her Spirits that she hadn’t even stopped to think after the broader effects of what Natsu had done. “He does it so often I always tend to forget how ill he gets afterwards,” she admitted softly as she glanced at Erza, relieved to notice that the Re-quip mage looked just as guilty and flustered as she was feeling, although that meant that they had all missed the signs this time.

“Are you sure that is all it is?” Erza asked, swallowing her own guilt as she refocused on Happy, having caught the emotions flickering through his eyes and her eyes narrowed when he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“As far as I know,” Happy said softly, deciding that he didn’t want to get into his suspicions while he didn’t have any evidence that it was something more. “And Natsu says it is as well,” he added with a slight shrug. He wanted to trust that the Dragon-slayer knew what he was talking about, but he also knew that Natsu had a habit of making light of his own illnesses and injuries even while he would fuss over everyone else. It was an endearing and infuriating trait.

“Well, I guess he’d know,” Erza looked about as convinced as he felt, but it was clear that she had decided that it was better not to push the issue, although there was a hint of her usual steel as she asked. “If he gets any worse will you come and get one of us?” Happy nodded at once knowing that it was the best way to appease her, although he knew it wouldn’t be that easy because Natsu had refused to let him send for help the night before, but he still sighed with relief when she smiled at his agreement.

   Slowly the conversation turned to lighter matters as he waited for Mira to return, and while he didn’t speak much, he carefully stored away what he was hearing, knowing that Natsu would be eager for the slightest news once he was awake. The Dragon-slayer hated staying away from the guild unless he was out on a job and Happy hoped that these little tidbits would at least help to alleviate his restlessness while he was getting better. The normality of it also helped to ease the knot of concern in his stomach, and he sighed softly as he felt himself relaxing somewhat although he was still keen to get home as soon as possible.

****

   The house was silent when he returned, and he took that to mean that Natsu was still resting, so he carefully stored the food that Mira had provided him, scowling as he found himself tossing out various jars that should have been binned weeks before. Honestly, Natsu always promised to do it, but then he would still manage to forget, and it was a miracle that they didn’t end up ill more often than they did. Once he was satisfied that the fridge was safe and the food was stored he headed up to check on Natsu, somewhat worried that there had been no sign of the Dragon-slayer rousing at the noise that he had been making. He knew from experience that it was practically impossible to sneak into the house without rousing the Dragon-slayer under normal circumstances.

   Sneaking into the bedroom he was unsurprised to find Natsu was still sleeping, and it didn’t look as though he had stirred at all since he’d left to go the guild. At least he was getting the rest he needed, and the Exceed hoped that this was a sign that it was just a normal reaction, and that Natsu would soon be back on his feet. Quietly moving across to the bed he peered up at his partner’s face, something easing in his chest as he realised that the furrow had mainly disappeared from Natsu’s forehead now and a quick check confirmed that his temperature was slowly but steadily returning to normal levels. That was enough to make him discard to vague ideas he’d had of rousing the Dragon-slayer to try and get some food into him, knowing that sleep would help him more at the moment.

   Gently pulling the covers up a little to make sure that the Dragon-slayer was properly covered he carefully retreated from the room, the signs of improvement giving him the confidence to leave Natsu unsupervised while he got some food and had a brief shower. Hearing a sleepy murmur from the bed, he paused in the doorway and glanced back, slightly startled to find himself meeting sleepy olive eyes, and he offered the Dragon-slayer a reassuring smile as he caught the slight apprehension in Natsu’s expression.

“It’s just me,” he whispered softly and slowly recognition dawned, and Natsu made a move to try and push himself upright, causing the Exceed to hold up a paw and shake his head as he watched the Dragon-slayer attempt to stifle a yawn. “Go back to sleep,” he ordered gently, and after a moment Natsu let out a soft noise of assent, blinking sleepily before snuggling back under the covers without a word. The Exceed waited patiently in the doorway until his partner’s breathing had evened out once more before sneaking away.

****

   Natsu jolted awake suddenly, and for a moment he was unsure of what had woken him, but then a sharp cry escaped as pain lanced through his entire body, far more intense than the stomach cramps that had assailed him the night before. Instinctively he curled in on himself, clutching at his chest as he bit his lip as he tried to hold back any more noises so that he wouldn’t scare Happy as he could vaguely recall the Exceed returning earlier. Several minutes passed, and there was still no sign of the pain diminishing anytime soon, and he curled up into a tighter ball, his nails breaking skin as he clenched his hands tightly as he tried to ride it out.

“H-Ha…ppy,” he tried to call for his partner after nearly ten minutes had passed without any sign of the pain receding, but his voice came out as barely a whisper, and he wanted to bang his head against the bed in frustration. A fresh spike of pain had him whimpering, and he closed his eyes. _What the hell was going on?_ He’d never experience this before while reacting to foreign magic, and he had no idea what was going on, and that scared him more than the pain racing through his body right now, and he could feel his eyes beginning to sting.

Happy…

**

   Happy frowned as he glanced towards the stairs, he could’ve sworn that he’d heard Natsu crying out a moment before and his eyes narrowed with concern. However, several minutes passed without any further noise or sign of movement, and he shook his head before turning back to the book he was reading…but he found himself unable to focus on the words in front of his eyes and with an exasperated sigh he set the book down on the table in front of him and got to his feet. It couldn’t hurt to check on the Dragon-slayer as it had been an hour or so since he’d last peered in on him, and hopefully, it would alleviate the uneasy feeling churning away in his stomach.

*

   Natsu was twisting on the bed, trying to find something…anything to alleviate the burning pain that seemed to be racing into every part of his body. It was worse than anything he’d ever felt before, and yet the pained cries that he could feel welling up his chest couldn’t seem to escape past the tightness that had formed in his throat. The air around him was heating up, and his eyes widened as he realised that beneath the layers of pain his magic was beginning to stir. It felt slightly like it had when he’d been trapped in Daphne’s dragon, as though some other force was tapping into what was his and trying to steal control of it away from him and he clenched his hands even tighter as he struggled to bring it back under his control.

   The pain was increasing even as his magic strained even further against his weakening control and he forced himself up into an upright position, his mouth working soundlessly as he tried to shout for help. Dizziness swamped him the moment he became vertical, and he immediately reached up intending to grasp his head, but the moment his hands relaxed from the desperate fists they’d formed he felt his weakening grip on his magic snap with a nearly audible sound. Fire filled the air around him, and for the first time, he found himself afraid of his own magic, flinching away even as it rushed away from him and towards the far wall and yet he forced himself to look at it. His eyes widening as he realised that this wasn’t his normal fire, as interspersed among the flames of his own magic, was streaks of other colours - other magic he realised spotting blues, purples, gold and black and he could only watch helplessly as the magic tore into the far wall.

   Watching the wall beginning to burn he slammed his eyes shut, not wanting to see it as he threw all his strength into reigning his magic in once more. It was a battle, the flames fighting him every inch of the way and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. _Give me back my magic!_ He didn’t know who or what he was pleading with, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, he had to get it back under control before it destroyed the place - before it endangered Happy. That final thought sent a jolt through him, and his eyes shot open as he felt the flames finally beginning to respond to his efforts, watching with relief as they slowly died away until all that remained was a charred wall and the smell of burnt wood in the air.

“What happened?” Happy demanded as he rushed into the room a moment later with a panicked expression having felt the surge of magic as he reached the landing, and he came up short as he took in the badly damaged wall before he turned his attention to Natsu. “Are you okay?” He asked anxiously as he took in the Dragon-slayer’s dishevelled appearance and the fear that he could see in wide olive eyes, wondering what on earth could have happened to put that expression on his face.

“I don’t know…” Natsu whispered when he eventually found his voice once more, staring blankly at the scorched wall before his gaze shifted down to his hands, hastily hiding them under the covers as he realised just how badly they were trembling.

_What the hell was that?_


End file.
